Frame for handbags and the like



Feb. 23, 1954 w. HAMMESFAHR FRAME FOR HANDBAGS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 10, 1952 INVENTOR.

AFWHW BY Patented Feb. 23, 1954 Willi-HammesfahrgSolingenewalddGmnany ase signortto'lohmfia-Treacy, New York, N. Y.

' Application'ianuary'lm l95'2jiSeti'a'il' 265,796,

. 1, The *present "invention relates td-frames sfo'r bags and in particular for-'ladies handbags;

Frames for bags 1 are known= in- -which spring metal plates have been prov 'i-ded which bring about-aself-loeking ofthe bag by means of the said spring ,metal plates. The latter also serve in"this* case as locking means 'for the open" position of thexbagm Inz-torderytotachieve this locking position, the pivots connecting the said spring metal-plates are provided 'with notches which maintain'.,th'e open position. of the bag,-. and a slight pressure is required to bring about the closedposition of the bag. The spring metal plates. move during theopening and closing,-,respe'ctively, of the bag, in a plane from each? other and towards each other, respectively, and .-ac cordinglythe pivots are.v disposed perpendicu- 1arly',to the said plane. 7

. It is-oneobject to provide pivot means-which not onlypermit a lockedclosed and open-position, respectively, of the bag ,in connection, with the spring metal plates, but also with bags comprising two U-shaped members which are pivoted to each other.

It is another object of the present invention to provide the ends of one of two U-shaped members, forming the frame of a bag, with a cam member, while each end of the other U-shaped member carries a part which engages the cam.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a frame for handbags which comprises two U-shaped members which are hinged to each other, and the ends of one of the U-shaped members being formed in the shape of an angle, the free arm of which is formed to a cam, which engages a part carried. by each end of the other U-shaped member.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a frame for a bag which comprises two U-shaped members hinged to each other, the ends of one of the U-shaped members being formed to cams, while balls mounted in the ends of the other U-shaped member engage the mentioned cams.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frame for handbags which comprises two U-shaped members shaped from hollow rods of any suitable cross-section, the ends of one of the U-shaped members being connected to sleeves formed to a cam member, while the ends of the other U-shaped member are connected with sleeves receiving a helical coil spring which presses a ball to engagement with the corresponding cam.

With these and other objects in view which Fig; =3 is an end view 'thereofa-howevera in-open position; i

- Fig. '4 is an endview,- partly in -section; or the jointof the -'-fr'ame;- and" Fig. 5 is 'a section'alo'ng the lines-5 4i of Figs 4'. Referring now to thedrawing, the-frame compr-ises two prefer-ably substantially-' U-shaped members l andi 2 *vvhich aredi'sposed parallel to each other-- in the closed position" of the bag andare preferably of hollow, i. e-wtubular, material or the like: The -U -shaped members 1' and 12' have comparatively long-arms =4 and 5,-'- respectively,-and theends of the arms 4 are hinged to the corresponding ends-of t-he -arms--=5.=f

The arm ends l-"of "thew-shaped member -l form to a cam disc 6 which is equipped with notches 1 and 8. The cam disc 6 is equipped with an opening [2 which receives the pivot l3. The latter is mounted in the joint M of the arms 5 of the U-shaped member 2 and thus forms the pivoting axis for the U-shaped member 2.

An engaging member 9 is mounted in each free end of the arms 5 of the U-shaped member 2, which engaging member 9 is preferably formed as a ball and, by means of a helical coil spring H disposed in a sleeve I0, is pressed towards the notches I and 8 of the cam 6 in the closed and open position, respectively, of the bag. A steep incline on the cam 6 leads to the notch 1 in order to secure the engagement of the two U-shaped members I and 2 in the closed position of the bag.

The cam 6 may be formed as one arm of an L-shaped member [5, the other arm l5 of which is secured to the free end of the arms 4 of the U-shaped member I.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the joint for the bag frame may be designed as independent structure to be inserted into the free ends of the arms 4 and 5, respectively, of the members I and 2. In this case, the sleeve I0 receiving the coil spring II and ball 9 and the angle arm I6 may be inserted into the ends of the tubular arms 4 and 5, respectively. The operation of the present joint is performed in the following manner:

Upon opening of the frame the ball 9 will be lifted from engagement with the notch l of the cam 6 into the sleeve I0, at the same time come pressing the spring I I. The ball 9 slides along the outer periphery of the cam 6 until such time as the ball enters the notch 8 which is clearly felt as the limit of the opening movement.

In order to close the bag it is merely necessary to lift the ball 9 from the notch 8 and to slide the ball 9 along the periphery of the cam 6 until the ball 9 snaps into the notch 1, bringing about the closed position of the bag and a secure locking of the members I and 2 in the closed position.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this each of the said frame members consisting of a base portion and two leg portions extending from the respective ends of the said base portion, the said U-shaped frame members being disposed in adjacent parallel arrangement in the closed position of the said handbag and in angular arrangement upon an axis formed by the connecting line between the free end parts of the said leg portions of each of the said U-shaped frame members, the respective bases of the latter being spaced apart from each other, in the open position of the said handbag, at least the free end parts of the said leg portions being tubular, a pair of L-shaped cross members of flat material, one arm of each of the said L-shaped cross members being secured to the free end parts of the legs of one of the said U-shaped members, respectively, each of the free end parts of the legs of the other of the said U-shaped frame members having an open axially disposed slot receiving therein the other arm of one of the said cross members which is secured to the adjacent leg of the other of the said U-shaped members, respectively, a pivot extending through the free end parts of the legs of the other of the said 4 U-shaped frame members and through the said other arm of the said cross members,-thereby pivotally connecting the free end part of the legs of one of the said U-shaped frame members with the free end part of the legs of the other of the said U-shaped members, the free end of the said other arm of the said cross members forming a cam having two notches spaced apart from each other over a center portion, a contacting member comprising a ball disposed in the free end part of each of the legs of the other of the said U-shaped frame members and engaging the corresponding one of the said cams, and resilient means comprising a helical spring disposed in the free end part of each of the legs of the other of the said U-shaped frame members urging the said contacting member toward the said cam, thereby retaining the said U-shaped frame members in parallel closing position of the bag, when the said contacting members engage one of the said notches of the said cams and in angular opening position of the bag, when the said contacting members engage the other of the said notches of the said cams.

WILLI HAMMESFAHR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I Number Name Date 324,444 Wolf Aug. 18, 1885 514,890 Heilmami Feb. 13, 1894 809,310 Long Jan. 9, 1906 935,611 Perkins Sept. 28, 1909 1,058,842 Cede'rstrom Apr. 15, 1913 1,085,129 Isidor Jan. 27, 1914 1,137,706 Delaney Apr. 27, 1915 1,139,040 Krentler May 11, 1915 1,207,270 Braithwaite Dec. 5, 1916 1,636,019 Stuart July 19, 1927 2,578,612 Stregack Dec. 11, 1951 2,581,729 Strauss Jan. 8, 1952 

